Railroad-tie and fastening.



N0. 642,I3fi. Patented Ian. 30, I900. F. C. WEISS & H. G. BURKHART.

RAILROAD TIE AND FASTENING.

(Application filed June 1, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

WITNESSES INVENTORS fiederck 6. 1082568 .Enzy iBW/ffiwrt :5 W 6M $4 7 MI YHE NCRIS "EYERS CI FHUTOLITHO WASHINGTON, D. C

No. 642,!36. Patented Jan. 30, I900. F. 0. WElSS & H. G. BURKHARTRAILROAD TIE-AND FASTENING.

(Applicaflion filed June 1, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(H0 Muriel.)

INVENT0R=$ 176676760X 0. 8062566 Gffizu'khart 35g Atiarney WITNESSES 1;"ohms vz cRs w. PNOTQ-LITMQ. WASHINGYON. u. c.

NlTF STATES PATENT FFICE.

FREDERICK O. \VEISS AND HENRY G. BURKHART, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-TIE AND FASTENlNG.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,186, dated January30, 1900. Application filed June 1, 1899. Serial No. 719,015. (Nomodel.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK C. WEIss and HENRY G. BURKHART, citizensof the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Railroad-Ties and Fastenings; and we do hereby declare the followingto be a full,elear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to railroad-ties and fastenings for the railswhich relatively cooperate therewith; and the intent of the presentarrangement of tie in the first place is to make it difficult to walkthereover, and thereby avoid serious accidents, which often arise frompedestrians selecting the railroad-tracks as pathways; also, dispensewith the use of spikes or analogous devices to secure the rails inposition on the several ties and insure a more effective connectionbetween the several parts and avoid rail-spreading or lateral shiftingand cause the rails and ties to move together and maintain a constantgage.

The invention consists, primarily, of a tie having central flangesprojecting upward therefrom and extending longitudinally thereover.

The invention further consists of a hollow tie having parallel openingsadjacent opposite ends between which the flanges of the rails areadapted to be positioned and held by fastening-irons having endsdepending through the said openings and locked to an immovable devicedirectly under each rail and forming an interposed rigid reinforce forthe tie at this point.

The invention further consists of the details of construction andarrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sectionof a railroad track embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the device shown by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transversevertical section through a portion of one of the ties, a rail, and thefastening for the latter. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a part of one ofthe ties. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the parts of areinforce attaching-block employed in connection with the ties andlocated at opposite sides under the rails. Fig. 6 is a detailperspective View of the fastening-iron used on the rails between thejoints of the latter. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of thefastening-iron used across the joints of the rails.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals are employed toindicate corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1designates the improved form of tie and is preferably composed ofopposite reverse U-shaped angle-plates 2, having a top plate 3 and alower plates fitted thereto. The angle-plates 2 extend inward only apartial distance from each side relatively to the width of the top andbottom plates 3 and 4 and form an opening 5 through the tie from end toend. This hollow formation of the tie, as well as the mode ofconstructing the same, materially adds strength and also saves metal inthe manufacture and decreases the weight. The parts are firmly securedby rivets or bolts 6, and adjacent opposite ends pairs oflongitudinally-extending slots 7 are out through the top plates 3 andhave pairs of rivet-openings 8 between them. The slots 7 are far enoughapart to receive the base-flanges 9 of rails 10 between them, and fromthe inner termination of the inside slots 7 a pair ofvertically-extending flanges 11 rise from each tie, integral therewith,and are disposed longitudinally in parallel relation. These flangescompletely occupy the distance between the rails and form obstructionsto walking on the ties by pedestrians, as it will be observed that saidflanges occupy the center of the top plate f each tie. In the use ofthese ties at points where switch-rails are located the flanges 11 willbe dispensed with, so that a smooth top surface on each tie will beprovided for the shifting of the said rails in opposite directions. Theties with the flanges are also especially useful on bridges to obstructtheir use as treadsurfaces, and in their manufacture they arecomparatively simple and the several parts can be quickly assembled andsecured.

Inserted endwise in each tie and positioned in the space between theslots 7 in the top plate 3 a two-part reinforce block 12 is located, andeach part is U-shaped, having a connecting member 13, withinwardly-extending ends 14 at right angles thereto. These ends arearranged to extend inward and abut and have vertical apertures formed inthe same to receive rivets 16, inserted in the open ings or apertures 8in the top plate 3, and similar lower rivets 17, passing throughcorresponding openings or apertures 18 in the lower or base plate 4. Theopenings or apertures 8 and 18 are in alinement, and when the openings15 of the two parts of the block 12 coincide therewith the ends 14 ofthe opposite members of the block firmly bear against each other and areimmovably held in position. The vertical extent of the two parts of eachblock is such that the space between the top and bottom or base platesof the ties is completely taken up,and a reinforce against crushing isthus established under each rail-flange. Also when the members of theblocks are riveted and held stationary the outer terminations or ends orthe faces of the webs 13 are directly in alinementwith the slots 7, andextending through the said webs are bolt-openings 19, which are disposedin planes at right angles to the openings 15 in the ends 1 1. The rails10 are immovably fastened to the tie by irons 20, located intermediatethe joints and comprisingupper vertical ends 21, each having an opening22 therethrough, and below the vertical ends are inclined outwardextensions 23, continuous with lower depending ends 24, each having anopening 25 through the lower portion thereof. These irons 20 aredisposed on opposite sides of the rail and the vertical ends 21 bracedagainst the webs of the rails and are secured by bolts 26, as clearlyshown by Fig. 3. The outward extensions 23 of the irons rest upon theflanges of the rails, and the depending ends 24 extend down through theslots 7 and bear against the webs 13, the openings 25 alining with theopenings 19 and secured by bolts 27. These irons 20 are removable andmay be easily removed to accommodate replacement of worn-out rails bynew ones, and the time absorbed in applying said irons is very little inexcess of that utilized in inserting spikes, with the superioradvantages in addition.

In ordinary railroad engineering and construction a fish-plate isusually applied across the joints or abutting ends of the several rails,but in the present instance the iron 28 (shown by Fig. 7) is substitutedand consists of a pair of legs 29, similar in construction to the iron20 (shown by Fig. 6) and united by a cross-bar 30, having a pair ofopenings 31 near the center to receive bolts 32 on opposite sides of therail-joint, as clearly illustrated by Fig. 2, and the legs 29 are farenough apart to span or extend the distance of two ties and passdownward through the slots 7, being applied to the rails like the irons20 (shown by Fig. 6) and having upper and lower openings 33 and 34c forthe reception of bolts similar to those heretofore designated 26 and 27and shown by Fig. 3.

In applying the iron 28 the rail-joint is not only practically secured,but the rails adja cent the joints are firmly connected to the ties, andno material. calculation isrequired, as the parts will be primarilygaged to meet an accurate application.

The blocks 12 are made in two parts to facilitate their insertion in theties and also their attachment by means of the rivets 16 and 17. Thesubstantial hollow construction of the two members of each block affordsconvenience in applying the fastenings extending therethrough indifferent directions without interference, and after the bolts 27 areinserted therein strength is added, as will be readily apparent. All theparts will be made conformable to the well-understood railroadgage andwill be manufactured in bulk. At times, however, changes in thedimensions, proportions, and minordetails of construction will beresorted to to accommodate various applications and contingencieswithout departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any ofthe advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Ahollow railroad-tie having U-shaped sides and top and bottom plates, thesides extending partially inward in reverse position and providing theopening through the tie, and a two-part reinforcing-block in the tieeach part having inwardly-extending portions and vertical sides andhorizontal bolts passed through said vertical sides, as set forth.

2. A railroad-tie composed of opposite sides and top and bottom plates,the sides having a space between them to form an opening from end to endof the tie and the top plate provided with centrally-locatedlongitudinallyextending flanges and opposite pairs of slots, andreinforce-blocks within the tie having Vertical sides andinwardly-extending portions, and bolts passed horizontally through saidsides, substantially as and for the purpose specified;

The combination of a hollow tie having pairs of slots adjacent theopposite ends, reinforce-blocks in the ties under the portions thereofbetween the slots, railroad-rails resting on the upper portions of theties between the slots, and fastening-irons having parts thereofattached to the rails and depending portions extending through the slotsand secured to the blocks.

4. The combination with ties having slots adjacent their ends andrailroad-rails resting thereon between the slots, of fastening-ironsadapted to extend across the joint of the rails and having legsdepending through the slots of adjacent ties.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

FREDERICK O. WEISS. HENRY Gr. BURKI-IART.

WVitnesses:

ANDREW BARGLESS, J. B. RAYMOND.

ICC

